Verbal Assault - it's a crime - NO REALLY!

This is a discussion on Verbal Assault - it's a crime - NO REALLY! within the Off Topic & Humor Discussion forums, part of the The Back Porch category; So yesterday night my wife and I talked about Christian Bale's arrest on allegations of assault. Today I looked up some articles to try and ...

(sic) There are also reports circulating that Bale was arrested for verbal assault. In England, there are two classes of verbal assault, Class 4 and Class 5. Class 4 is more aggravated than 5, with "an intent to cause alarm." (sic)

Assault can be verbal in the U.S., as well. The ADA covered that very point in the class where I renewed my CHL this past weekend.

Here's the subsection from the Texas Penal Code:

§ 22.01. ASSAULT. (a) A person commits an offense if
the person:
(1) intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes bodily injury to another, including the person's spouse;
(2) intentionally or knowingly threatens another with imminent bodily injury, including the person's spouse; or
(3) intentionally or knowingly causes physical contact with another when the person knows or should reasonably believe that the other will regard the contact as offensive or provocative.

For example, if a husband says to his wife, "If you talk back to me again, I'm going to beat you to a pulp!", he's committed assault.

Assault can be verbal in the U.S., as well. The ADA covered that very point in the class where I renewed my CHL this past weekend.

Here's the subsection from the Texas Penal Code:

§ 22.01. ASSAULT. (a) A person commits an offense if
the person:
(1) intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes bodily injury to another, including the person's spouse;
(2) intentionally or knowingly threatens another with imminent bodily injury, including the person's spouse; or
(3) intentionally or knowingly causes physical contact with another when the person knows or should reasonably believe that the other will regard the contact as offensive or provocative.

For example, if a husband says to his wife, "If you talk back to me again, I'm going to beat you to a pulp!", he's committed assault.

I'd have never guessed.... out here we call that malicious harassment. I've never heard of someone being charged with assault for saying something... learn somethin' new every day.

Example 2: You unknowingly cut somebody off while pulling into the gas station. The guy, big and mean-looking, approaches you while angrily yelling, "You cut me off, you . I'll kick your ***!"
Assault. You retreat into the store and call 911. He waits by your car for you to come out. Even though he didn't hit you, it's still assault. If he had shown a deadly weapon, it would be aggravated assault.

That is what threw me for a loop. We have harassment (verbal), and assault (physical). There are no battery charges in WA but I thought (for some dumb reason) that battery was just a severe assault. Silly me.

I am surprised that anyone would have a problem with a law against verbal assault.

I only took issue with it because in my neck of the woods assault means to put hands on - the equivalent of assault and battery elsewhere. It seemed ridiculous to lump verbal threats in with battery, but that was my mistake and I stand corrected as noted previously.